Operations

Local Association Forum

Florida Limousine AssociationGov. Bush Commends Industry
Gov. Jeb Bush has commended the Florida Limousine
Association for its fund-raising efforts and for the vital
role the limousine industry plays in Florida’s economy.

In a letter sent to attendees of the association’s second
annual Limousine Roadeo, Bush praised members for
their “commitment to safety while transporting Floridians
with flair and elegance.”
Bush cited the association’s involvement in the Prom Pledge
program and with Mothers Against Drunk Driving as key
contributions to the welfare of the community. FLA
represents limousine operators in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and
West Palm Beach.

The roadeo raised money for the James Jr. Fund, a charity
that helps children with cancer receive life-saving
treatments, and to help with the association’s lobbying
efforts. Of the $3,500 raised at the event, $2,000 was
slated for the James Jr. Fund.

Carla Boroday, president of the FLA, said the roadeo was a
great opportunity for members to get to know each other
better. “It was really a family event. We’re usually just
discussing business, but that day we got to meet all the
families and build friendships.”

Competition during the roadeo included an obstacle course
for drivers, where vehicles from limo buses to stretches
were used. A bounce house, pool, face painting and
paddleboats were available for children, and even some
adults joined the fun.

Boroday, who is also president of Associated Limousine,
said FLA supports the James Jr. Fund because it is a local
charity providing assistance to children. Recently, the
fund recently provided a local girl suffering from leukemia
with an experimental stem cell transplant that put her
cancer into remission.

-- Kristen Force

Illinois Limousine AssociationO’Hare Fee Proposal Eyed
A per-trip fee at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport has prompted the
Illinois Limousine Association to develop a proposal that
would make airport travel easier for operators and city
officials.

Limousine operators must now pay a fee every time they exit
the airport, a requirement that can become quite time
consuming for a company that regularly provides airport
transfers.

The ILA was working with the city’s Department of Revenue
to develop a program that would assess and collect the fees
on a quarterly basis, said Karen Renk, ILA’s executive
director.

Details remained to be worked out. A method of counting the
number of times a vehicle exits the airport, for example,
would need to be developed.

Renk said operators would not be delayed while departing
the airport and the city would not need staff collecting
the fee at the airport.

In addition, the ILA was working closely with the
Department of Consumer Affairs to create guidelines for the
introduction of London-style taxis, which were expected to
be operating in Chicago by the end of the year.

“The ILA wants to make sure they are licensed as either a
taxi or a livery vehicle,” Renk said. “It does not support
a hybrid license.”

She said operators were concerned that London-style taxis
would be permitted to transport passengers without using a
meter to determine the fare.

The Department of Consumer Affairs has asked the ILA to
work with it on developing requirements, said Renk.

-- Kristen Force

Houston Limousine AssociationIAH Parking Restrictions Cited
Smaller Houston operators may face parking restrictions at
George Bush Intercontinental Airport that would put them at
a competitive disadvantage with taxis and larger limousine
companies.

Chauffeurs are now allowed to park in a designated area
near baggage claim at each terminal.

The city’s Aviation Department, however, has proposed
restricting limousines to a staging center it wants to
build on the airport’s perimeter where drivers would wait
for passengers, said David Schovajsa, president of the
Limousine Association of Houston and CEO of Franklin
Corporate Transportation.

Schovajsa said he was told that arrival information would
be displayed on video monitors at the staging center.

The Houston City Council must approve the plan before any
work can begin. If approved, it could be operational by
early 2005.

Schovajsa said he has heard that city officials may build a
temporary staging center.
He said all operators with less than 10 vehicles who had
contacted the association were against the proposal. Some
larger companies capable of hiring meet and greeters were
more accepting.

Limousine operators, in general, are concerned that clients
who are in a hurry, or those who do not understand the
policy, will take a taxi instead of waiting for a driver to
be released from a holding area.

“This does not provide good customer service,” Schovajsa
said. “Our passengers are bringing business to the city and
this is not the way to treat them.”

The Parking Authority is assuming regulatory control of
livery vehicles entering the city beginning July, taking it
over from the state’s Public Utilities Commission, and has
asked the association to work with it on safety and
enforcement issues.

The Parking Authority is trying to decide on a maximum age
before vehicles must be taken off the road and to establish
guidelines for testing and training chauffeurs, among other
things. The PRLA, along with other recommendations, was
suggesting that colored stickers be used to mark legal
vehicles.

PRLA President Nick Tropiano, who was appointed the
limousine industry’s representative to a 10-person
commission, said he remains cautiously optimistic about the
outcome of the discussions.

The PRLA “supports an initiative to clean up the city,”
Tropiano says. “The [Parking Authority] seems to want the
same things we do. We’re just hoping honest people who are
trying to make a living aren’t hurt by rules that are too
restrictive.”

- Neil Weiss

West Florida Livery AssociationPermit Policy Hinders Some
Individual county permits are creating an obstacle for
operators who must navigate through several jurisdictions
in the Tampa Bay area. A strict permit policy in
Hillsborough County (Tampa) presents a hardship for
limousine companies based in nearby counties.

The West Florida Livery Association was working with
Hillsborough’s transportation commission to establish a
policy that is fair for all companies.

Operators based in Hillsborough have few problems receiving
a permit if they can prove sufficient need. Those from
other counties, however, are more strictly regulated, said
Dave Shaw, WFLA president.

“We want regulation and we support county permits, but we
want fair regulation,” Shaw said. “If people meet the
requirements, they should be able to get proper permits no
matter where they’re from. Businesses are being unlawfully
restricted right now.”

The transportation commission was cracking down on permit
distribution in part because of the taxicab industry’s
concerns that limousines were taking away business, Shaw
said.

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